An example of the game system for displaying a game space on one of two display means and another game space on the other display means is disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. 2003-053038 (published on Feb. 25, 2003) filed by the same Assignee of the present application. In this game system, a first floor of a labyrinth representing a game space is displayed on a television monitor, while a second floor thereof is displayed on an LCD of a portable game machine.
However, the above game system could be further improved to clearly convey a positional relationship between the first floor displayed on the television monitor and the second floor displayed on the LCD. That is, it sometimes is not clear which position on the first floor corresponds to which position on the second floor located above the first floor. This is because the game worlds are separately displayed on the respective display means in a manner such that only the game world on the first floor is displayed on the television monitor and only the game world on the second floor is displayed on the LCD. When a player desires to move a character from the first floor to the second floor in the course of the game, for example, it is difficult to accurately predict in advance a position of the character after such movement. This might give the player an impression that the game system is difficult to operate.
Therefore, certain exemplary illustrative embodiments provide a game system and a game program in which two game spaces are separately displayed on two display means so that the player can easily know a positional relationship between these game spaces.
Certain exemplary illustrative embodiments provide a game system and a game program in which two game spaces are separately displayed on two display means so that the player can comfortably know a positional relationship between these game spaces.
Certain exemplary illustrative embodiments provide a game system and a game program in which two game spaces are separately displayed on two display means so that the player can easily know the positions of objects located in the game space displayed on one display means based on a game image displayed on the other display means.
Certain exemplary illustrative embodiments provide a game system and a game program in which game spaces are separately displayed on two game machines so that the amount of communication can be reduced and the player can easily know a positional relationship between the game spaces.
Certain exemplary illustrative embodiments provide a game system and a game program in which in which two game spaces are separately displayed on two display means so that the player can easily know in which game space a player character is currently located.
In order to achieve the features mentioned above, certain exemplary illustrative embodiments have the following aspects. Note that terms and reference numerals in parenthesis merely indicate a correspondence with one or more exemplary illustrative embodiments which will be described further below, and are not intended to restrict the scope of the present invention.
A first aspect of certain exemplary illustrative embodiments is directed to a game system in which two game spaces (GC world and GBA world) are separately displayed on first display means (101) and second display means (502). In the first aspect, the game spaces mean virtual game spaces represented by the game system. The game system includes first display control means (CPU 201 executing a rendering program stored in the DVD 30) which causes a first game space to be displayed on the first display means (GC world); and second display control means (CPU core 506 executing a rendering program stored in the ROM 601) which causes a second game space (GBA world), which is different (for example, separate) from the first game space, to be displayed on the second display means. The first game space is differentiated from the second game space and, by way of example, the first game space is separated from the second game space. Based on a virtual positional relationship (Y=0, Y=−10) between the first game space and the second game space, the second display control means causes a related image (shadow image or translucent image) of an object located in the first game space to be displayed on the second display means. In the first aspect, the related image is not restricted to a shadow image or a translucent image of the object, but can also be an outline of the object merely indicated by a dotted line, a mark, such as an arrow, merely indicative of the location of the object, and a name merely indicative of a name of the object.
In a second aspect based on the first aspect, the first display control means causes only the first game space to be displayed on the first display means, and the second display control means causes only the second game space to be displayed on the second display means.
In a third aspect based on the first aspect, the object is a player character operated by a player.
In a fourth aspect based on the first aspect, the object is a moving object (player character, clouds, a bird, etc).
In a fifth aspect based on the first aspect, the game system further includes judging means (CPU 201 executing steps S105 and S109) which judges whether predetermined conditions are satisfied; and moving means (CPU 201 executing steps S106 and S109) which moves, when the determining means determines that the predetermined conditions are satisfied, a player character between the first game space and the second game space; and determining means (CPU 201 executing steps S113 and S119 and the CPU core 506 executing step S206) which determines which one of the first game space and the second game space the player character is located. When the determining means determines that the player character is located in the first game space (YES in S119), the first display control means causes the player character to be displayed on the first display means (S120). When the determining means determines that the player character is located in the second game space (YES in S206), the second display control means causes the player character to be displayed on the second display means (S207).
In a sixth aspect based on the first aspect, the second display control means causes a related image of an object which is located in the first game space but is not located in the second game space (clouds, a bird, a ladder to the sky, etc.) to be displayed on the second display means.
In a seventh aspect based on the first aspect, the first display control means includes a first storage section (30) for storing data used for displaying the first game space, the second display control means (601) includes a second storage section for storing data used for displaying the second game space. The first storage section stores object data (polygon/texture data) for displaying an object which is located in the first game space but is not located in the second game space. The second storage section stores related image display data (shadow image data) for displaying a related image of the object which is located in the first game space but is not located in the second game space. Based on the related image display data, the second display control means causes the related image of the object which is located in the first game space but is not located in the second game space to be displayed on the second display means.
In an eighth aspect based on the first aspect, the related image is an image representing a shadow of the object.
In a ninth aspect based on the first aspect, the second game space is a two-dimensional game space (GBA world). The second display control means (CPU core 506 executing the rendering program stored in the ROM 601) includes a shadow image storage section (601) for storing a shadow image of the object located in the first game space (GC world). Based on a position in the first game space of the object located in the first game space and the virtual positional relationship, the second display control means causes the shadow image to be displayed at a position on which the object located in the first game space (GC world) casts a shadow in the second game space (GBA world).
In a tenth aspect based on the first aspect, the second game space is a three-dimensional game space (GC world). Based on a position in the first game space of the object (a monster, a castle, a house, etc.) located in the first game space (GBA world) and the virtual positional relationship, the second display control means (CPU 201 executing the rendering program stored in the DVD 30) the second display control means causes the object located in the first game space (the GBA world) to be virtually placed in the second game space (the GC world), and based on the placed object, causes a shadow of the object to be displayed.
In an eleventh aspect based on the first aspect, the second game space is a three-dimensional game space (GC world). The second display control means (CPU 201 executing the rendering program stored in the DVD 30) includes a shadow volume storage section (30) for storing a shadow volume of the object (the monster, the castle, the house, etc.) located in the first game space (GBA world), causes the shadow volume to be placed in the second game space (GC world) based on a position in the first game space of the object located in the first game space and the virtual positional relationship, and causes a shadow of the object by using the placed shadow volume.
In a twelfth aspect based on the first aspect, the second display control means changes a size of the related image in accordance with a virtual relative positional relationship ((x1, y1, z1), (x2, −10, z2)) between the object located in the first game space and the second game space (this can be achieved by the CPU core 506 executing S210).
In a thirteenth aspect based on the first aspect, the game system further includes a first game machine (20) for generating image data representing the first game space and outputting the image data to the first display means (10); and a second game machine (50) for generating image data representing the second game space and outputting the image data to the second display means (502).
In a fourteenth aspect based on the thirteenth aspect, the second game machine obtains a position in the first game space of the object located in the first game space from the first game machine (this can achieved by the CPU core 506 executing in S202), and, based on the obtained position, causes the related image to be displayed on the second display means.
In a fifteenth aspect based on the thirteenth aspect, the second game machine includes predicting means (CPU core 506 executing S203) which predicts a position in the first game space of the object located in the first game space and, based on the predicted position, causes the related image to be displayed on the second display means.
In a sixteenth aspect based on the fifteenth aspect, the second game machine stores a motion pattern of the object located in the first game space (FIG. 19). Based on the motion pattern, the predicting means predicts a position in the first game space of the object.
In a seventeenth aspect based on the thirteenth aspect, the second game machine stores in advance a position of a fixed object fixedly located in the first game space (the GC world) and, based on the position, causes the related image of the fixed object to be displayed.
In an eighteenth aspect based on the thirteenth aspect, the second game is a portable game machine (50) including the second display means.
According to the above-mentioned second aspect, when the player desires to move the player character from the first game space to the second game space, for example, the player can easily know the corresponding position in the second game space, and therefore can exactly know a position to which the player character is going to be moved.
According to the above-mentioned fourth aspect, the player can know the state of the first game space (e.g., the state of movement of the moving character) only by viewing the second display means. This is particularly effective in a case where the player character is located in the second game space. In this case, the player normally plays the game by viewing the second display means. Even when viewing only the second display means, the player can know the state of the first game space.
According to the above-mentioned sixth aspect, the player can know the existence and position of an object which is located only in the first game space and is not displayed on the second display means only by viewing the game image displayed on the second display means.
According to the above-mentioned seventh aspect, the player can know the existence and position of an object which is stored only in the first storage section and is not stored in the second storage section only by viewing the game image displayed on the second display means.
According to the above-mentioned eighth aspect, with a shadow of the object located in the first game space being displayed in the second game space, the positional relationship can be naturally displayed without appearing unnatural.
According to the above-mentioned ninth aspect, the shadow image stored in advance is used for displaying a shadow. Therefore, no shadow image has to be generated every time a shadow is to be displayed, thereby reducing the processing load.
According to the above-mentioned tenth aspect, when the second game space is a third-dimensional game space, the shadow of the object located in the first game space can be appropriately displayed.
According to the above-mentioned eleventh aspect, the shadow volume stored in advance is used for displaying a shadow. Therefore, a realistic shadow can be displayed. Furthermore, an increase in the processing load can be avoided and/or reduced.
According to the above-mentioned twelfth aspect, the player can know in more detail the position of the object located in the first game space only by viewing the game image displayed on the second display means. For example, when the first game space and the second game space have a positional relationship in which these spaces are vertically aligned, the position in height of an object located in the first game space can be known from the display size of the related image.
According to the above-mentioned thirteenth aspect, with the related image of the object located in the first game space, it is possible to display the positional relationship between the first game space handled by the first game machine and the second game space handled by the second game machine so that the player can easily know the relationship. Also, the player can know the position of the object located in the first game space only by viewing the game image displayed on the second display means.
According to the above-mentioned fourteenth aspect, for example, a related image of an object whose motion pattern randomly changes can be displayed at a correct position with little communication between two game machines.
According to the above-mentioned fifteenth aspect, the position of the object located in the first game space is predicted by the second game machine. Therefore, transmitting the position of the object from the first game machine to the second game machine is not required. Thus, the amount of communication can be reduced.
According to the above-mentioned sixteenth aspect, the motion destination of the object can be easily predicted by storing the motion pattern in advance.
According to the above-mentioned seventeenth aspect, the position of the object located in the first game space is stored in advance in the second game machine. Therefore, the related image can be displayed at a correct position without transmitting the position of the object from the first game machine to the second game machine.
According to the above-mentioned eighteenth aspect, with the related image of the object located in the first game space, it is possible to display the positional relationship between the first game space handled by the first game machine and the second game space handled by the second game machine, which is a portable game machine, so that the player can easily know the relationship. Also, the player can know the position of the object located in the first game space only by viewing the game image displayed on the second display means.